Antec NSK1480 vs Antec MicroFusion Remote 350 for HTPC

michal · Post by **michal** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:34 pm

Hi,

I was hoping for some opinions about these 2 cases for HTPC use. I already have a MicroFusion for my parents HTPC and it looks great (apart from the dodgy LCD screen).

Here are the pros and cons as far as I can tell:

NSK1480
Pros: Cheaper, doesn't have crappy LCD or remote I won't use, takes 2 3.5" HDD's.
Cons: No elegant optical drive cover, doesn't look like a entertainment component.

MicroFusion
Pros: Looks great, elegant optical drive cover.
Cons: Costs more, takes only 1 3.5" HDD.

I think I'm trying to justify to myself why the NSK1480 is a better option for me. I need 2 x 3.5" HDD's despite the uglier appearance.

Are there any other factors which I should be aware of? Any other way in which the two cases differ?

Thanks in advance for any advice, opinion or comments.

Regards,
Michal

alphabetbackward · Post by **alphabetbackward** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:05 pm

As for costs, I found the Microfusion for 90 bucks here.

http://www.frys.com/product/5707252?sit ... IN_RSLT_PG

I remember seeing it sold for 100 at Newegg but I think it's been deactivated.

michal · Post by **michal** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:47 pm

alphabetbackward wrote:As for costs, I found the Microfusion for 90 bucks here.

http://www.frys.com/product/5707252?sit ... IN_RSLT_PG

I remember seeing it sold for 100 at Newegg but I think it's been deactivated.

I should point out that I'm in Australia so the prices are more like $215AUD for the MicroFusion and $178AUD for the NSK1480.

That's about $200USD vs $165USD with the dollar as it stands.

michal · Post by **michal** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:08 pm

Since nobody seems to have anything to say about these cases perhaps someone could give me advice on how to mitigate one of the cons of the NSK1480, ie the lackof optical drive cover.

Are there any decent (quiet) optical drives which are available in silver that closely matches that of the NSK1480 front bezel? Thanks.

Regards,
Michal

funklizard · Post by **funklizard** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:55 pm

michal wrote:Are there any decent (quiet) optical drives which are available in silver that closely matches that of the NSK1480 front bezel?

Silver drives seem to have virtually disappeared from the market. performance-pcs.com will paint any drive bezel for you; or you can do that yourself.

But the NSK1480 looks just fine with a black drive. The bottom part of this case's front bezel is black; and as such the black optical drive does not look out of place. It will probably look better than a silver one that doesn't quite match.

Trav1s · Post by **Trav1s** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:08 am

I can only speak to the MicroFusion so here is what I got.

I picked one up at Newegg several months ago as a "shellshocker" deal at Newegg and decided to re-case the home office system. Got it for $90 shipped.
Current price: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129046

I was not planning on it but the price was right so installed the following components in it:

Zotac NF630I-F-E MiniItx Mobo
e5200 Pentium
2 gigs Crucial DDR2-667 (2x1)
WD Blue 640 gig SATA HD
LG SATA HD

That being said...
I think this is a very nice case. Everything fit and I did not have any problems that others have complained about most likely because the mobo is Mini-itx. As it sits I can find room for a 2nd drive but that again is due to mobo.

I used the included software to turn of the display which I have not taken time to learn and fiddle with. Also, there is now software from iMon that works with Win7 if you are leaning that direction.

Overall, I am very happy with it. It looks great sitting on my desk with the 20" wide LCD sitting on top.

Any questions? Just ask.

Travis

michal · Post by **michal** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 12:33 pm

I like the Microfusion but it bothers me that the LCD display prevents the installation of a second HDD drive. It doesn't seem like there is any good reason for that.

I'm considering buying the NSK1480 and then transplanting my parent's HTPC to the NSK1480 and finding a way to stick the second drive cage into the Microfusion.

As far as I can tell it's just 2 identical drive cages stacked atop each other.

I wonder if the NSK1480 PSU is identical to that in the Microfusion (ie with a VFD/LCD only power connector. Anyone know this?

Regards,
Michal